Yet another stupid cat question

[Kazaam]

An overweight pet does NOT mean an owner can't care for it

You should have seen his statements about his cat in the past.
We're talking about a guy that does not care if his cat dies, he does not care if it suffers in the progress.
He also finds it funny if they destroy the local flora and fauna, and makes it a competition, he defends this with appeal to authority arguments while hiding behind his superiority complex.

I don't care where he lives or what the norms are, that's not going to make it less horrible.

 

[The Snark]

Green beans.... I just called the boss and asked her to bring home some. By no means look like a fool. I've done some masterfully strange things in my time, but the people at my wife's restaurant will be thinking you're weird as me.

Thanks Kazaam! You might have just solved part of the exercise regimen for the cat! I've mentioned this in passing before but to give details.
Take a large box filled with styrofoam packing peanuts. Install one or more cats. After they have romped themselves into a stupor, tip the box on it's side, preferably in a containment room. The packing peanut vs static electric cat battle can continue for many hours and can get out of all control. Cat charged peanuts stuck to the walls and ceiling become targets. The peanuts stuck to the cat can evolve into miniature vortexes. There is also a slight risk of bodily damage if the peanuts become stuck to your person and the cat spots them. I suspect the romp would continue indefinitely. The trick of this is cat bats at peanut as a mouse or gecko but the peanut counter attacks, either going nowhere or getting stuck to it's paw. Now multiply that times 5,000 - 10,000 peanuts.

That should get the cat out of my hair for a while anyway. The big problem will probably be when we get tired of the peanuts stuck to everything in sight and we clean them all up. This cat will probably go into a demented peanut deprivation fit, turning everything in the house upside down in it's search for it's rumble buddies. But that's just more exercise.

PS The first time I saw the peanut trick was a pair of kittens. That adds a whole new dimension to the sadism as the kittens try to burrow under the peanuts and attack the peanuts stuck to the other kitten. You end up with these balls of peanut coated kittens rolling all over the place. If anyone is vile and brutal enough to try this, be WARNED! Do not enter the battle zone barefoot. Your toes will become targets far easier to nail down than the peanuts.

---------- Post added 11-22-2013 at 05:39 PM ----------

At the risk of ruining my fiendish diabolical reputation (almost as bad as PETA), I am obligated to give a feline public service word of caution. If the cat shows any signs of just trying to get away from the peanuts it should be immediately removed from them and comforted. The same also applies to some other cat toys like squeaky toys. Some cats get really freaked from that noise. Also, it's a bad idea to substitute balloons for the packing peanuts as the pop can terrorize neurotic prone kitties and presents a minor health hazard.

 

[Kazaam]

You can train cats how to fetch, you could do that.

Or train it like a lion.

 

[Silberrücken]

You should have seen his statements about his cat in the past.
We're talking about a guy that does not care if his cat dies, he does not care if it suffers in the progress.
He also finds it funny if they destroy the local flora and fauna, and makes it a competition, he defends this with appeal to authority arguments while hiding behind his superiority complex.

I don't care where he lives or what the norms are, that's not going to make it less horrible.

I will admit it: A looong time ago, I was a bit taken aback by many of The Snark's postings... I even reported one once, it was so far off-the-wall. (sorry, The Snark) But... as I browsed the forum over the past few years, I got to 'know' The Snark & how he posts. If you 'learn' about him by opening your mind and really get into reading his posts, you'll find that he's actually quite 'brilliant' in his own way. It takes a LOT of reading to look past some of his wording. ... took me a couple years tho...

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On topic: Eagerly awaiting results of the green bean offering. I will check in later this evening. I hope she accepts.

 

[Kazaam]

It could be that my view is just a bit twisted because I don't really know this guy very well, indeed.

Anyway I'll stop derailing now.

 

[Aviara]

The packing peanut idea is great if your cat gets into it - but just as in humans, it is easier to accomplish weight loss by controlling input versus controlling energy output. I am a huge advocate of the Primal/Paleo lifestyle, so I know first-hand that obesity is often caused by the quality, and not the quantity, of foodstuffs we or our pets eat. If you match your own or your pets' diets with what they are genetically designed to eat and digest, weight loss tends to happen without complicated portion control or extreme exercise efforts. That said, many cats appreciate toys on string or wire - if you have a pet store around and have not yet tried "wand toys", many cats prefer them to toys they must bat around themselves. I'm sure you've also tried it already, but the red dot of doom, aka the lazer pointer, gets dumber cats to go crazy. My "slow" cat can chase it for hours, my other one just stares at my hand, unimpressed.

As for green beans, again I'll point out that cats are obligate carnivores. Please do not feed green beans, cats simply cannot handle vegetable or grain matter and these legumes will be undigested or poorly utilized. Humans are not even intended to digest legumes, and along with grains these "food products" cause many common modern diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.

I know it is contrary to what others are saying, maybe even to what veterinarians (who have no nutritional training barring a 1-day course sponsored by Purina in most cases) are saying, but do not give in to her. Wait her out. Cats will not starve, and unless your cat has a severe medical condition that you are aware of that prevents fasting, this is the best way to switch them onto a radical diet, such as moving from kibble to cooked meats. Keep in mind that cats are desert animals, and they are hunters who do not naturally graze on food twice a day or more, rather they are designed to handle periods of fasting when prey is scarce or when they have a series of unlucky hunting experiences. I switched my IBD cat - who cannot eat kibble, he will empty the entirety of his stomach onto my carpet the instant it goes down his throat - onto a raw diet he wouldn't originally touch by fasting him for four days until he caved. No harm done, and now I have a cat who accepts his new diet, rather than fighting to try and "sneak it in" for months with little success. Like dogs, cats will eventually at something they may see as "distasteful" if they are hungry enough.

 

[PlaidJaguar]

No harm done, and now I have a cat who accepts his new diet, rather than fighting to try and "sneak it in" for months with little success. Like dogs, cats will eventually at something they may see as "distasteful" if they are hungry enough.

You've had ONE successful experience with ONE cat. But you're right, I'm sure that qualifies you to countermand all veterinary advice.
/sarcasm

Seriously, my cat fasted for three days, threw his liver into shutdown, and very nearly died. Fatter cats are at higher risk for hepatic lipidosis, but it can happen to any cat.

Small cats are very successful hunters, accustomed to frequent small meals in the wild. They do NOT hunt like canids or big cats, catching one large prey item and then fasting. Small cats eat mice, lizards, insects, etc. and are quite capable of maintaining their picky metabolisms in most environments where they find themselves. They are not equipped to deal with fasting, and it is dangerous.

Yes, "he'll eat when he's hungry enough" works well on dogs. I have used it successfully with all of my own dogs. But don't try the same strategy with a cat! It's a game of kitty Russian Roulette.

 

[Silberrücken]

As for green beans, again I'll point out that cats are obligate carnivores. Please do not feed green beans, cats simply cannot handle vegetable or grain matter and these legumes will be undigested or poorly utilized. Humans are not even intended to digest legumes, and along with grains these "food products" cause many common modern diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.

I did not suggest that The Snark feed his cat green beans every day, nor in huge amounts. I will wait for The Snark's reply before revealing why I suggested this - whether the cat eats it or not.

 

[Kazaam]

Green beans in small amounts won't hurt a cat, it isn't exactly uncommon for people to feed them these either and I've never heard anyone complain about it, or about any problems that might be related to it, if it were harmful that is.

If you plan on giving your cat meat make sure it's not just processed meat (like boneless chicken breasts), as obligate carnivores they also need the skin, bones, organs, etc.
You can get these as waste products from butchers (and they're sometimes free, I use them as fish-bait)

Just giving it processed meat will eventually lead to vitamine deficiencies.

 

[Aviara]

I never stated that I am taking my experience with one cat and applying it to all cats. I am merely using an example, if you have dealt with extreme IBD you know how challenging these cats can be, and how serious this condition can get. I'm also not suggesting you feed only muscle meat, I follow a very strict recipe when making "homemade" raw cat food which is based on extensive research and others' experiences as well as my own. I'm not suggesting going against your veterinarian, but veterinarians handle medical issues, and few understand canine or feline nutrition. Look how many veterinarians sell prescription kibble such as Science Diet - basically trash for our domestic cats and dogs - simply because they make money from it. Veterinarians don't receive nutrition training, and although I have met a few who have are knowledgeable and have a good grasp on proper diet, these are rare and have done research supplemental to their veterinary training.

About the green beans, I honestly don't see why you would suggest it. Sure, it won't hurt once any more than a person eating hydrogenated fats or corn oils once, but why not post your reasoning instead of keeping it secret? If you are suggesting the standard "use green beans as filler so the pet won't eat as much" - this is unnecessary and not getting to the heart of the weight gain issue. Pets regulate their intake when we feed them natural foods, so they shouldn't need fillers like green beans to keep them from gaining weight. Further, as legumes, green beans will actually encourage your pet's overeating. Why would you feed a filler your cat can't digest, instead of feeding them a healthy BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) diet, whether commercial or homemade?

 

[BobGrill]

As was pointed out by someone before, cats are carnivores by nature anyway.

 

[Kazaam]

Yes, so are dogs.

 

[The Snark]

You should have seen his statements about his cat in the past.
We're talking about a guy that does not care if his cat dies, he does not care if it suffers in the progress.
He also finds it funny if they destroy the local flora and fauna, and makes it a competition, he defends this with appeal to authority arguments while hiding behind his superiority complex.

I don't care where he lives or what the norms are, that's not going to make it less horrible.

Or to take up arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them. I may at times seem callous, sadistic, or whatever. Everybody needs to follow some basic rules when reading text. All we see is the text. So, when was the last time you spoke to a person and that person replied in a flat monotone, emotionless and entirely free of any inflection. We color our recption of what people have to 'say', and ... you get the drift.
But don't think for one moment you aren't completely correct. The animals are free to slaughter the birds around our house whenever they want and I am entirely ambivalent to this. I'm not justifying, I'm actively supporting depredation.

It's called trying to keep things in perspective. We've got major big time rants about a-holes like me and PETA and HSUS and more indignation than you could stir with several D9 caterpillars. And those doves are taking a terrible beating! And I'm sorry that I don't give more of a ****. We've got a few other little problems that aren't being ranted about. HIV positive is over 25% of the population in Chiang Rai district. Drug resistant malaria is making new inroads into all the population centers of SE Asia. We've still got 80,000 refugees trapped in camps on the border. And a few doves are being killed by semi domesticated predators in my yard. Perspective. Do what you can when you can where you can, but try to stay focused on the major issues first.

 

[The Snark]

I am going to look & sound stupid, but....

The Snark, offer your cat canned, drained green beans. See if she accepts and eats them. Let it be known here if she does indeed eat some. IF she does, I will explain something.

If she does not, I will just look like a fool.

BTW, I am quite serious.

Can't find green beans anywhere. Will yard long beans do?

 

[BobGrill]

Can't find green beans anywhere. Will yard long beans do?

Personally I would just give it meat. I don't know about the specific types of meat that are good for them, but I'm sure you can find out by searching online a bit. Even my veterinarian here told us that we should try to avoid feeding our cats foods with lots of grain and vegetables (which unfortunately can be quite difficult since so many have them in it).

 

[Silberrücken]

The purpose of offering the cat green beans is to see if the cat needs 'roughage' to aid in digestion of food. If the cat does eat beans when offered, there is the answer.

The Snark, you could probably offer those - I'd cook them tho.

All cats seek roughage when outside - has no one ever seen a cat eat grass or other green vegetation? Since The Snark's cat is an indoor cat, there is no access to any roughage. I've always been told a sick cat will eat roughage to help it 'clean out its' system'.

IF the cat does accept the beans, offer it a few beans a week and see if that helps any. The cat will still be a picky eater tho.

FYI to anyone else: a LVT told me this years ago when I took my cat in for not eating well.

The Snark, I hope this works for your cat.

 

[Shrike]

The purpose of offering the cat green beans is to see if the cat needs 'roughage' to aid in digestion of food. If the cat does eat beans when offered, there is the answer.

The Snark, you could probably offer those - I'd cook them tho.

All cats seek roughage when outside - has no one ever seen a cat eat grass or other green vegetation? Since The Snark's cat is an indoor cat, there is no access to any roughage. I've always been told a sick cat will eat roughage to help it 'clean out its' system'.

IF the cat does accept the beans, offer it a few beans a week and see if that helps any. The cat will still be a picky eater tho.

FYI to anyone else: a LVT told me this years ago when I took my cat in for not eating well.

The Snark, I hope this works for your cat.

Whew! That was close. I was about to go on a obligate carnivore diatribe Believe it or not, there are folks out there that force their cats to conform to a vegetarian or vegan diet, which I find appalling.

 

[Silberrücken]

Whew! That was close. I was about to go on a obligate carnivore diatribe Believe it or not, there are folks out there that force their cats to conform to a vegetarian or vegan diet, which I find appalling.

That is why I didn't really want to divulge too much info as to the 'why' of offering the cat green beans. Something in canned gb attracts a cat that wants roughage. If my cat ate some, I was told to give them a few beans whenever I had some with a meal.

I myself thought this was very strange advice coming from an LVT, but it worked. The cat was still a picky eater tho, LOL.

A veg. diet for cats?

 

[PlaidJaguar]

Whew! That was close. I was about to go on a obligate carnivore diatribe Believe it or not, there are folks out there that force their cats to conform to a vegetarian or vegan diet, which I find appalling.

I can't imagine a cat would live long or well on a vegan diet. How terrible. And I thought vegetarian dog food was bad!!

 

[The Snark]

Well, we let her out in the yard to graze this AM as her rotund condition prohibits her from being a hazard to wildlife now. 4 hours later, she appears to have a tummy ache and is sitting hunkered up in a corner. Nertz.